Molyneux reveals Fable III

Peter Molyneux can be accused of many things, but resting on his laurels isn’t one of them. Always eager to move on to his next game, in Cologne today Peter unveiled Fable III, less than ten months after the release of the previous game.

You’ll start the game as the son or daughter of the hero from Fable II, with the first half of the game being called Journey to Rule. This will involve gathering support to overthrow a terrible tyrant who is ruling over Albion. Molyneux says you will have to make promises to people to gain followers and unite factions, and ultimately you will become the ruler of Albion yourself.

The question then is whether you keep the promises you have made. Once you’re ruling it seems that the game will turn into more of a strategy/management game, as you decide how to use your kingdom’s resources, and whether to help or hinder the development of your lands.  Your judgements will affect individual situations, as well as the whole land of Albion. Apparently, there are also parts of Albion we are yet to see, a desert environment being given as an example.

As king, you can literally act as a judge and jury too, as peasants will be brought before you to be found innocent or guilty. You can ask questions about the matter, or even do some detective-style investigating into the situation yourself. Or, if you’re a evil sod, you can simply choose to make a snap and ill-informed judgement at any time.

There will also be a new ‘Touch’ mechanic. “When you meet someone you can shake their hand or refuse to. Later on you can turn that into a hug. Later on that can turn into an embrace, a full passionate snog. Then I won’t tell you where it leads to, but you can use your imagination… I’m not saying there’s cupping, by the way.”” says Molyneux. “Imagine being able to embrace your child. How does that make you feel?”

“That’s expression touch, but then there’s dynamic touch, which enables you at any time to reach out and touch someone – to hold someone’s hand, to pull them along, to be pulled by then, to take the person you love to the top of a cliff and look at the sunset.”

“Imagine hearing the cries from a young child in the house, and you as a ruler storm in to save the child.” In Fable I and Fable II, you’d get a button prompt – press A to save the child. With dynamic touch, you can pull the child out of the flames and the burning house. You can cuddle them and reassure them and carry them out of the burning house.”

Molyneux also admitted that maybe the stories in Fable I and II didn’t contain enough drama, because the story was one of the last things that was worked on during the development of those games. Thats will all change with Fable III though, where they have already written the scripts and directed the voice actors. (Including Jonathan Ross maybe?) Molyneux says, “”Our story isn’t just one thread, it branches and merges and there are lots of choices and consequences, and we have to get to the centre of that as quickly as possible.”

Fable III will be out on Xbox 360 in 2010, but don’t expect it too early in the year.